What is it about gardening that is so obsessive? I don't know but, come spring, I can hardly wait to get my hands in the soil. Darlene Blasing captures this feeling perfectly in her lovely little novella, "Bargain Paradise".

Her heroine, Loretta, starts out with a few plants she obtains for free from a construction site and sets off on a journey to create, from bare earth, a wondrous garden. She enlists the aid of her reluctant husband and together they transform not only the land they own, but the actual fabric of their lives.

Woven within her magical prose, Blasing also provides the reader much factual information about different plants that not only please the eyes but also nurture the soul. To call this sweet tale a 'tour de force' is not an exaggeration. Bravo, Ms. Blasing! I can't wait to see what you come up with next!